Automatic lock slider for slide fasteners



April 28,1942. A. B. NEWHALL ,28

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Aug. 15, 1941 INVENTOR BY aw ATTOR EY.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 Loon snmsa roasmps rssrsnsas a a i AUTOMATIC Arthur B. Newliall,Meadville,' Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc a corporation of Pennsylvania 7; Application August is, 1941, Serial No. 406,978 6 Claims (01. 24-2055) This invention relates to slide fasteners and, in particular, to the provision of a new and ima proved slider for slide fasteners.

It isthe objectofthisinventionttoprovide a new and improved automatic lock slider for slide fasteners, wherein the pull member or operating member is of, such construction and is connected to the slider body in such manner as efiectively to prevent accidental detachment thereof.

It is a further objector the invention to provide such; a construction wherein thetpull mem 4 her or operatingmember is provided with em means cooperating with-the spring-urged locklng member ofthe slider to withdraw the looking member from, locking engagerrientin one position of the pull member, and to permit return 01 the locking member, to locking engagementin other positions ofthe pull member oroperating member, the: cooperative 1 relationship 1 between the spring-urged locking member andthe pull member or operating member beingsuch that the locking member, in returning from unlocked position to locked position, will cause the pull member or operating member to be brought flat against the slider, eitectively to prevent accidental removal of the pull member, bytwisting,

during laundering of, garments embodying slide fasteners equipped with such slider construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a slider wherein, by reason 01' thena ture of the pull member; and its connection to the slider, distortion or spreading, or its trunnions sumciently to cause, failure of the pull memberto operate, as a camming'device will be followed by its operation ass tension'member,

iorcontrolling the locklng member in the manner disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,966,457 granted July 17, 1934,:to Samuel H. Norton and Peder Nedal. a a h These andother obiectsand advantages of the invention will appear from the following: de-

substantially online a4 0: Fig. 1, but showin thepull tab in a diii' erent, locked position;

Fig. 4 isa view similar tom. 3, butshowing thepartsin unlocked position; and a Fig. 5 is a iragmentary transverse section taken substantially along the line 5-! of Fig. 4.

, In United States Letters Patent 1,966,457, granted July 17, 1934, to Samuel H. Norton and Pedar Nedal, disclosure is made of a lock slider wherein the locking member is inthe iorm ota hollow metal member with top wall, side walls, and ,end walls.- This locking member overlies a longitudinal lug on the front wing oi! the slider body and ispivotally secured theretoatone end. The free end of the locking member is provided with locking projections adapted normally tofbe projected into the channel 01' the slider, into locking engagement with the interlocking fastenermembers oi the fastener.

The locking member is constantly biased toward this locking position by a leaf spring secured to the longitudinal lug on the front wing of the slider, which spring engagesthe interior of the locking member for constantly biasing the locking member about its pivot toward locking position. The pull member, by which the slider is operated. is oil plate-likeiorm having a bifurcated inner end with inwardly, oppositely di rected projectionsor trunnions. The projecis necessary that the space between the ends of these projections or trunnionsbe substantial, in fact, somewhat greater than the thickness of the lug- Manual twistingoi the pull tab with respect to the slider, in use, frequently causes spreading of the trunnions to such degree that one or both of them escapes from its operative zone, causing jamming oi the locking member or disconnection of the, pull member from the slider, with consequent loss of the pull member. Wear caused by, friction between these trunnions and the lug, in use, naturally causes the space between the projections to be increased,oiten to such extent that normal manual application of operating iorceto the pull member will cause a such undue spreading of the trunnions or" pro- Jectionsas to cause the above-described Jamming OFFICE f of the locking member or detachment of the pull member from the slider.

In the above-described patented construction, the edges of the side walls of the locking member alone retain the pull tab on the slider by reason of the engagement of these side wall edge hingedly connecting the pull tab directly to the longitudinal lug .on the slider body. For this purpose, the lug is provided with aligned sockets or recesses at opposite sides to receive the ends of the trunnions or projections, which ends are,

.of course more closely spaced than in the abovedescribed construction. Cam surfaces are providedadiac'ent those pivot projections or trunnions which extend into the above-described sockets-or These cam surfacesengage the edges of the'side wallsof the locking member and'co'operate therewith'in such manner that the locking member is allowed to be biased to locking'position when the pull member is flat against the slider body, as shown in Figs. 1 and '3, while it is withdrawn from locking position and retained in unlocked position. against the force of the biasing spring, when the pull member is in intermediate; upright position, as shown in F sutandfi. u

The relative movement between the trunnions on the pull member and the supporting lug is entirely rotary and close engagement of the pro- Jection ends or trunnions in the'sockets or recesses, by decrease of the freedom of movement of the pull member, substantially increases the resistance of the pull member to twisting torques. Furthermore, the application of such twisting torques as will cause spreading'ofthe projections or trunnions must be so great as to cause such spreading of the trunnions that the space between these trunnion ends will be substantially as great asthe transverse thickness of the locking member. In other'words, the increase in space between the trunnions necessary to damage the slider is far greater than in the abovedescribed patented construction.

Since the freedom of movement of the pull tab is less than in the above-described patented construction, the tendency toward spreading of the projections upon application of twisting force to the pull member is proportionately reduced. Since the distance from the bottom or inner walls of the trunnion retaining sockets or recesses to the outside surfaces of the side walls of the locking member is substantially; greaterthan thedlstance represented by the thickness of the side walls of the locking member, the amount of spreading of the projections or trunnions which is necessary to cause failure is necessarily far greater than in the patented construction.

Furthermore, upon occurrence of such spreading as will increase the spacing of the trunnions or projection ends to equal the thickness of the lug. the slider will still remain operative because the trunnions or projection ends of the pull memher though they escape from the sockets or recesses will still be retained by the edges of the I vantages are totally obviated 'by pivotally ,or-

this invention is shown applied to a conventional slide fastener comprising a pair of stringers l bottom stop or bottom end fitting l6 clamped therebetween. Longitudinal movement of the slider on the rows of interlocking fastener members I! of the stringers Ill and II causes progressive engagement and disengagement .of interlocking fastener members I to operate and close the fastener,

The slider which is generally designated 7 comprises afpair of plate-like wings 2i and 22 each provided with side flanges 23 and secured together in predetermined spaced relationship by a wedge or neck member 24 providing integral connection between their upper ends. The inner surfaces of the flanges 22 cooperate with the surfaces of the wedge or neck member toform w While the rear wing member 22 has a flat outer surface, a longitudinally disposed upstanding lug the above-described patented construction. 7

In Fig. 1 of the drawing. a slider according to 25 extends outwardly from the outer front surface of the front .wing member 2l'. At its upper end, the lug 25 'is provided at opposite sides with pivot recesses 28, by means of which the hollow locking member is pivotally secured to the lug 25 in a manner hereinafter most clearly described.

At its lower end, the lug 2515 provided at opposite sides with limiting recesses 21 which accommodate projections or limiting stops, formed at the lower or free end of the locking member for predeterminedly limiting pivotal movement of the locking member about the pivot recesses 26, as will also be hereinafter most clearly described.

The lug 25 is provided with an inclined notch 28 in itsjupper surface into which the locking member biasing spring 25 is securely clamped at one end, the other end thereof being free and engaging the upper wall of the hollow locking member on the inside, constantly to bias the locking member toward locking position, as hereinafter described. 'Adjacentthe lower end of the lug 25 and adjacent the above-described recesses 21, the front wing 2| is provided with a pair of locking projection accommodating apertures 30.

The lug 25 is also provided at opposite sides with a pair of aligned trunnion-re ceiving recesses 3! intermediate its length, which trunnionreceiving recesses receive and pivotally support trunnions provided on the slider pull tab; pivotally to secure the pull tab directly to the lug'25.

'I'helocking member is generally designated 32. It comprises a hollow member having a generally rectangular top wall 25, similar side walls 34, a lower end wall 35, and an upperend' wall 36. While this member is shown as formed ofsheet metal bent to shape, it may, of course, be formed of any suitable material, in any suitable manner as by molding or diecasting. The central portion of each side wall 34 is cut away, as shown at 31 (Fig. 2), to permit extension of the oppositely directedpivot projectionsor trunnions at, the inner ends of the pull.tab between the edges of the cut-away portion and the outer surface of the front wing 2|. These edges of the side walls cooperate with the cam surfaces on the pull tab jioroperat ion of'the slider, as hereinaitermost fully explained.

At itslower end, each sidewall 3! is provided with a locking projection C 38 which extends through an above-described locking projection accommodating aperture 20 intothe channel of the slider. j Adjacent its upper end, each side wall 24 ,isprovided with indentations 39 whichform pivot projections or pivot 'trunnions closely; engaging the pivot recesses 26 for pivotallyl securing the upper end of the locking mernber 32 to the mg 26.

Somewhatsimilar indentations ,llifar'e provided adjacent the lower end of each. side wall .34,

which indentations u form limiting stops which project into theflimiting recesses 21 with which they cooperate to limit piovtal movement of the locking member 22 with respectzto thesupporting lug 25. The locking, member, when assembled to the slider, as, shown in :Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 sub-- stantially encloses the supporting lug 25 and encloses the biasing spring 29. 1

The pull tab, whichis generally designated ll, is preferably of plate-like form andis provided at its outer end with a thong-receiving aperture 42. The pull tabis bifurcatedat its inner end, which end terminates in a pair of spaced legs 43, each leg terminating, in" an inwardly, oppositely di- Qrected endyprojection generally designated sistant. to detachment.

upon the locking member," retains the pull tab the nearest of the flat positions shown in Figs. 1

- From the above description it will readily appear that the pull tab of; the slider of thisinvention is connected directlyto the lug 25, of the slider, whereby thesupport of thepull tabistotally independent'of theflrmness of attachment of the locking member 32 to the lug which is secured by the indentations 38 and cooperating frecesses2i. .It will likewise appearthat the connectlon of thepulltab to the lug, being pivotal,

is more positive than in the above-described patented construction and necessarily more re- Likewise, sincetit is necessary that theretbe agreater degree of spreading of the trunnionsor (Figs. 2 and 5). Eachend projection 44 forms two portions, the outer portionimmediatelyfadjacent theleg II is a cam portion 45 of substantially rectangular section. Extending inwardly from this cam portion 45 islapivotportion or trunnion 46 of circular section andpreferably slightly tapered toconforrn closely to the tapered trunnion recesses, 31 on the lug".

",In assembling the slider; the biasing spring .29

is inserted in the notch 28 of the lug 25 and the notch 28 is closedby upsetting portions oi the lug adjacent thereto in order firmly to secure the inner end of the spring 28 (Fig. 2 Thereafter,

the locking member, in the formshown in Fig. 2,

is placed over the lug 25 and attached spring 29,,

being positionedas shownin Fig.3, and theindentations 38 and 20 are formed inthe sidewalls 3 4. The formation of the indentations 35 which i are received by the recesses 26 firmly secures the locking member 32 pivotally to, the lug ;25, while the formation of the indentations-.40, which are receivedin the recesses of thelug 25,, pro-,

videsmeans for limiting pivotal movement of the lockingmember 32 ontherlugliandthe sliderj 20., Thereaftenthe pull tab (l which has the legs 43 thereof spread, asshown inFig.,2; is placed substantially in the position shown in Fig. f4 and l the legs 42 are forced together whereby thetrunnions l8 are secured closely in the trunnion receiving recesses 2| of the lug 25. r The pull tab is then pivotally secured to the lug 25 and i the cam portions of the projections 44 engage the cam surfaces formed by the: edges of each side ,wall 34 of the locking, member, 1 as shown in Fig.5.

While the spring constantly urges or biases the lockingmember 32 in counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4,: or to the locking positionlshown in Firs. 1 and 3,,the cooperation of the locking member". 1 Y It is of course to be understood that the, above ,the scope of theappended claims.

projection ends 48 to cause inoperativeness of the slider than is necessary to cause escape of the trunnions 16 from the recesses 3| alone, the

pull member 4| will operate as a, simple tension lock operating means upon the occurrence of such spreading of the trunnions 46 as is suflicient to cause their escape from the recesses 3l, with theirl retention by, the edges of the side walls 34.

description is merely illustrativeand in nowise ,limitingand that I desire to comprehend within my invention all modifications includedwithin Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i v 11., In a slider for slide fasteners, a slider body having a fastener member guide channel therein, alug pr'ojectingfrom one side of said slider body,

, a locking member pivotally connected to said lug at one end and having thereona projection projectible intosaid channel for locking said slider and retractible therefrom for unlocking said slider, biasing means normally urging said locking membentoward locking position, and means :for controllingsaid locking member comprising a pull member pivoted directly to said lug, and

a cam on said pull member engageable with said locking member for holding said locking member i in unlocked position against. thewforce of i said biasing means in one position of saidpull tab,

*said cam. releasing said lockingmember to the of the cam portions of the pulltab with the cam surfaces on thelocking member cause the force of the spring to be overcome when the pull tab 4| is swung tojthe intermediate position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein the pull tab or pull member is substantially perpendicular to the of said pull member.

control of, said biasin'g means in other positions 2.1na slider for slide fasteners, a slider body having therein a channel for guiding fastener interlocking members into and out of engagement, a longitudinally disposed lug projecting from oneside of said slider body, a hollow lockingmember pivotally connected to said lug at one end and enclosing said lug at least partially, said locking member having a locking projection extensible into said channel for locking said slider and retractible from said channel for unlocking said slider, biasing means normally urging said locking member toward locking position. and means for controlling said locking member comprising a pull member pivoted directly to said lug and cam means on said pull member engaging surfaces of said locking member in one position of said pull member for holding said locking member in unlocked position against the force of said biasing means, while releasing said pull member in other positions to the control of said biasi g means for locking said slider.

3. In aslider for slide fasteners, a slider body having therein a channel for guiding fastener j [interlocking members into and out of engagement, a longitudinal lug project of said slider body, a substantia y rigid locking from one side member pivotally connected to said lug at one end and having a locking projection extensible into" said channel for locking said slider and retracticle fromsaidchannel for unlocking said slider, biasing means normally urging said lockingmember toward locking position, and means for controlling said locking member comprising a pull member pivoted directlyto said lug and cam means on said pull member engaging coopcrating surfaces of said locking member in the upright position of said pull member for holding said locking member in unlocked position against the force of said biasing means, while releasing said pull member in other'positions tothe control of said biasing means for locking saidl slider, and said locking" member maintaining said 'pull' tab flat against said slider body when in locking position. I 4. Ina slider for slide fasteners, a slider body having a fastener member guide channel therein.a longitudinal lug projecting from one side of said slider body, ahollow locking member extending over said lug and pivotally connected to said lug at one end, said locking member having a projection adjacent its free end projectible into said channel for locking said slider and re- .tractible therefrom for unlocking said slider, yielding means acting between said lug and said locking member for constantly urging the free end of said locking member toward said slider body to project said projection into said channel and lock said slider, said lug having aligned trunnion receiving recesses at opposite sides intermediate its length, a pull member having at one end apair of oppositely, inwardly directed trunnionscomplementary to said recesses and disposed therein for pivotally connecting said pull member directly to said lug, and cam members on said pull member adjacent said trunnions, said cam members engaging said hollow locking member and lifting the free end portion of said locking member against the force of said yielding means and maintaining said locking member in unlocked of said pull member.

' 5. In a slider for slide iasteners,-a slider body position in one position havinga fastener member guide channel therein, a longitudinal lug projecting from one side of said slider body, a hollow locking member extending over the top and sides of saidlug and pivotally connected to said lug at one end, said locking member having a projection adjacent its ing said slider, a spring connected to said'lug and acting between said lug and said locking member for constantly urging the free end of said locking member toward said slider body to project said projection into said channel and lock said slider, said lug having aligned trunnion receiving recesses at opposite sides intermediate its length, a pull member having at one end a pair of oppositely, inwardly directed trunnions complementary to said, recesses and disposed therein for pivotally connecting saidpull member directly to said lug, and cam members on said pull member adjacent and outside said trunnions, said cam members engaging, side edges of said hollow locking member and lifting the free end portion of saidlocking member against the force of said spring and maintaining said locking member in unlocked position in the intermediate position of said pull member, said spring reaching through said locking member and said cam members in other positions of said pull member to urge said pull member flat against said slider body.

6. In a slider for slide fasteners, a slider body having a fastener member guide channel therein, a longitudinal lug projecting fromone side of said slider body, a hollow locking member having top and side walls extending over the top and sides of said lug and pivotally connected'to said lug at one end, said locking member having thereon a projection adjacent its free end projectible into said channel for locking said slider and retractible therefrom for unlocking said slider, a spring supported by said lug and acting between said lug and said locking member for constantly urging the free end of said looking member toward said slider body to project said projection into said channel and lock said slider, said lug having aligned trunnion receiving recesses at opposite sides intermediate its length, a pull member terminating at one .fend'in a pair of, oppositely, inwardly directed trunnions complementary to said recesses and adapted to be retained therein for pivotally connecting said pull member directly to said lug, and cam members on said pull member'adjacent and outside said trunnions, said cam members normally engaging the edges of the side walls of said hollow locking member for lifting the free end portion of said locking member against the force of said yielding means in at least one position of said pull member to unlock said slider, said trunnions, upon accidental escape from said recesses by spreading, engaging the edges of the side walls of said locking member to retain said pull member on said slider and cause said pull member to operate as a simple lock operating tension member.

ARTHUR B. NEWHALL. 

